Granny pants

So, yesterday was the last day of school before Christmas break. It’s always one of the best days of the year. What I was really looking forward to was watching a Christmas movie after the kiddos went to bed. I wanted something that would make me cry. I chose The Family Stone. Worked like a charm.

Since I hadn’t been feeling very well this week, I decided to go to bed as soon as it was over, around 9:30. But lo and behold, because I hadn’t been feeling great the last few days, I had no pajamas, because I hadn’t done any laundry (story of my life). How frustrating. So, I dug around in my dresser and came across …

Granny pants.

A whole, brand-new package. I couldn’t even tell you why I had them. Perhaps I had bought them for those days when I was feeling super bloated. Perhaps I had bought them for post-delivery of babies. Seriously, I have no idea. They were still in the package. So I thought, well, let’s see; maybe they’ll do the trick.

They were fantastic.

So comfortable. Super high-waisted. Super low-cut. Just what I needed. So I crawled in bed, in my granny pants and huge Tshirt, in my cozy flannel sheets, and snoozed away.

This morning, I got news from my dad that my Oma was in the hospital. So I went to Ajax to see her. She’s not been well, especially these last few months. You know, it’s pretty unsettling when you arrive to all the “grown ups” and 5 (including yourself) out of 6 cousins with tears in their eyes. Oma is 86, and her health hasn’t been great lately. She forgets who we are sometimes. She has problems with her heart. And many other things.

And there we all were. My parents. My two uncles, and two aunts. My sister. Both my girl cousins. One of the boys. Truth be told, it’s been many years since we’ve all been in the same place at the same time. And I carry a lot of guilt over that.

But regardless of that, and all sorts of things that have been said or not said over the years, even though we were all so sad and so worried, I felt like I was home. Exactly where I belonged. These were the family I grew up with, spent every single Sunday afternoon with.

Today, Oma kept saying Thank you so much for coming; and You couldn’t ask for a better bunch than you guys and calling my dad, her eldest son, the big guy. These little Oma-isms, though they are most likely due to the recent onset of dementia, are the things that have always made us all laugh, that stay with us. Like Oh my God in her German accent (which sounds like oh my Got), one of our favourite expressions from a Christmas many years ago.

And it broke my heart to hear her cry out, sometimes in pain, sometimes in relief from shifting position; during her nap time. And to see just a couple of tears roll down the side of her face. Even though she isn’t very comfortable right now, and has just finished a three-hour blood transfusion, we all know that she was elated that we were all together. It’s when she’s happiest.

I don’t know what the next few days will hold. We shall see. But when I got home, you’d better believe my kiddos called both their grandmothers to tell them they loved them.

So tonight, though I’m physically feeling better than yesterday, I’ll be busting out a pair of those granny pants for bedtime. I have a great need for comfort today. And sometimes, a girl’s just got to be comfy. Even if it means granny pants.